How to Boost Your Metabolism

Our highly intelligent body doesn't rely on only immediate fuel but also glycogen reserves, so the body utilizes both glucose and glycogen. When glycogen runs out, then it converts fatty acids to glucose (glycosis) and amino acids to glucose (gluconeogenesis).

Zone 1 = low intensity- converts for fuel

Zone 2 = moderate intensity, converts and glycogen

Zone 3 = high intensity, mainly glucose & glycogen (from carbohydrates)

Exercise such as running changes metabolism. During running, energy expendature increases volume of calories that we use...

Running may boost your metabolism temporarily, for a certain time, suggesting that short and frequent exercise helps in weight loss.

A long standing belief exists that the body continues to burn calories after exercise. While this may be true, the increase in metabolic rate post exercise has limiting lasting effects.

While post-workout metabolic effects may seem minimal, breaking your workout into smaller sections does have benefits for your long term weight loss efficiency, such as:

Time management – Lack of time is often a barrier to exercise. It can be daunting to find an hour per day to set aside for exercise. However, three 20 minute bouts are easier to fit in and just as effective as one long session.

Energy availability – You might also find that you’re able to perform exercise at a higher quality and intensity if you perform 2 shorter sessions instead of one long one. You’ll give your body some time to recover between sets.

From a TV Show that helped people to lose weight through diet and exercise:

"The next year, a follow-up study concluded physical activity had helped some contestants stave off weight gain. If they moved around or formally exercised for about 80 minutes most days, they added back fewer pounds than if they rarely worked out. But their exercise did not boost their resting metabolisms. The exercisers, in fact, showed the greatest relative declines in their resting metabolic rates."

" This idea grew out of an influential 2012 study showing that highly active hunter gatherers in Tanzania burn about the same relative number of calories every day as the rest of us, even though they move around far more.

The scientists involved in that research postulated the tribespeople’s bodies must automatically be compensating for some of the calories they burned while hunting for food by decreasing other physiological activities, such as growth. (The tribespeople tended to be short.) In that way, the researchers felt, the hunters’ bodies could keep the overall number of calories they burned each day in check, no matter how many miles they jogged in search of tubers and game. The scientists called this idea the constrained total energy expenditure theory."

It suggests that abrupt and colossal weight loss generally will backfire, since that strategy seems to send resting metabolic rates plunging since the body adapts to conserve energy and prevent further weight loss. This can make it harder to sustain weight loss and may lead to regaining lost weight once normal eating patterns are resumed, particularly with excessive calorie restriction or drastic weight loss methods that are not sustainable in the long term.

On the other hand vigorous exercise can increase post-exercise energy expenditure and have implications for weight loss and management.

Another study concludes: In young male subjects, vigorous exercise for 45 min resulted in a significant elevation in postexercise energy expenditure that persisted for 14 h. The 190 kcal expended after exercise above resting levels represented an additional 37% to the net energy expended during the 45-min cycling bout. The magnitude and duration of increased energy expenditure after a 45-min bout of vigorous exercise may have implications for weight loss and management. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21311363/

It's essential to approach weight loss in a balanced and sustainable way, combining healthy eating habits with regular physical activity to achieve long-term success. Individual factors, such as genetics, age, and overall health, can also play a role in how the body responds to weight loss strategies.

Adding intensity, strength training, and breaking your workouts into multiple daily sessions boost your PAEE (Physical activity energy expenditure) which can lead to greater weight loss success.

When you add small bursts of more intense activity, you’ll get the same positive effect of moderate exercise in about half the time—one minute of vigorous activity is equal to about two minutes of moderate movement.

The next component of your workout routine that can help increase your metabolic rate is performing at least two strength training sessions per week. You’ve probably heard the claim that muscle burns more calories than fat. This is true in that muscle has a higher level of metabolic activity than fat. Thus, when you build muscle through strength training, you’re creating tissue that will use more energy each day.

There are many activities that you can perform to increase strength, including:

Yoga

Weight-lifting

Pilates

Resistance band exercises

Body-weight exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups)

Hydrate adequately – Drinking a sufficient amount of water may also help prevent you from overeating at mealtimes. We often mistake thirst for hunger which causes us to eat more. Water can help increase your feeling of satiety without adding excess calories to your diet.

Sleep well – Not getting enough high-quality sleep is linked to a host of health problems, including obesity. When you’re overtired, your body doesn’t burn calories as efficiently as it does when you’ve slept well. Furthermore, you won’t have the pep to get out and exercise when you’re exhausted.

Since it's a passion of mine, I'll mention that one hour of Qigong Exercise practice is approximately one hour of walking as far as calories burned. Through Qigong, you will find an increase in energy and mood. This sense of well-being can inspire you to continue living a healthy lifestyle.

Fasting Intermittently (14-16 hours) in the morning with Sunlight can improve metabolism and circadian rhythm benefiting Health and wellness. Breath slowly, enjoy the process and embrace your body for what its made of- energy!

#Yoga #Fitness #Qigong #Weightloss #Journey